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Emily O'Reilly is a former journalist and author who became Ireland's first female Ombudsman in...

Emily O'Reilly is a former journalist and author who became Ireland's first female Ombudsman in 2003, succeeding Kevin Murphy. She was educated at University College, Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin, and Harvard University, where she was awarded a Nieman Fellowship in journalism. She began her career as a journalist in the 1970s. Since then, she has held senior positions with the Irish Press and the Sunday Tribune, as well as serving as a political columnist at the Sunday Times and as the Political Editor of the Sunday Business Post. In 1998, she became the editor of Magill magazine. She resigned in September 1999 when the magazine's sister publication, In Dublin, was banned by the Censorship of Publications Appeal Board for advertising brothels and prostitution services. O'Reilly was also a broadcaster on RTÉ and Today FM. In the course of her journalistic career, she won two awards: Journalist of the Year and Woman Journalist of the Year. On 1 June 2003, she received her Warrant of Appointment as Irish Ombudsman and Information Commissioner from the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, at Áras an Uachtaráin. She has said of her job title, "I will be an ombudswoman but will have